Cliff Lee's future is in doubt. Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Cliff Lee is going to try to withstand the pain.
The Philadelphia Phillies left-hander learned Tuesday that he has a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. Knowing he would miss the season if he opts for surgery, Lee is going to try to tough it out.
However, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is skeptical that Lee can make it through the season.
“We’re not terribly optimistic, but there is still the possibility he can come back and throw, and throw with a minimal amount of discomfort,” Amaro said. “It got worse the last time (he tried to pitch through it), so the probability of that happening again is probably pretty high, but we don’t know that, and we probably won’t know it until he starts to throw and goes through his progressions.”
Lee, who was limited to 13 starts last season and none after July 31 because of elbow pain, made his lone start of the spring on Thursday and pitched two scoreless innings against Houston. He allowed two singles and threw 16 of his 22 pitches for strikes.
However, he felt discomfort when he threw on the side Sunday and underwent an MRI that revealed the tear.
Lee’s five-year, $120-million contract will expire at the end of the season unless he manages to pitch 200 innings, which would trigger a $27.5-million vesting option for next season. Of course, 200 innings seems like a tall task now and Lee admits that retirement could be on the horizon.
“I’ve got a family at home, and I’ve been away from them for a long time, so that is part of the equation,” Lee said. “If I were to have the surgery, am I going to go through all that to try to pitch again, or am I going to shut it down? That’s a decision that I’ll have to make once that time comes, if that times comes.”
The Phillies are trying to begin a rebuilding phase and were hoping to trade Lee to a contending team for a package of prospects at some point during the season. However, the chances of that happening seem dim now.
At the end of last season, Lee consulted with three orthopedists — Michael Ciccotti of the Phillies, the New York Mets’ David Altcheck and the renowned James Andrews. All three told him there was a 97 percent chance he wouldn’t need surgery.
“I was in the three percent,” Lee said. “It’s frustrating that it came back.”
